Fresh Eyes
by REIDFANATIC
Summary: Will a conversation with a friend and the consequences give Reid a new perspective?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended.

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Garcia was just folding the green dish towel with bright yellow sunflowers and hanging it on the rack when someone knocked on her door. She wasn't expecting anyone and Kevin had told her he was busy with a case in Quantico so she didn't expect to be seeing him she thought as she made her way to the door. She'd installed a peephole; while actually, Morgan had done it for her, after Rossi had paid her an unexpected visit. She looked through it now and her eyes widened. Reid! He hadn't been here since Battle had been trying to kill her. What would bring him here tonight? "Reid," she said as she opened the door.

"Hi Garcia," he gave her one of his little waves. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I heard you say Kevin had to work tonight."

"No Reid, come on in." She held the door open for him as he entered the apartment. His shirt and tie, for once, were gone and he wore a black polo shirt with very fine horizontal stripes of white and beige at two inch gaps, with a pair of tan pants. The short sleeves showed off the muscles he had built up since the shooting and the form fitting pants showed off his other improvements. He should dress like this more often, Garcia thought.

"Sorry for just showing up. I know I should have called first so if you're busy I can…" Reid began to ramble before Garcia put up her hand.

"It's fine sugar." She turned towards the kitchen. "I bet you'd like some coffee."

"No, I mean I don't want to put you to any trouble."

"No trouble sweetcheeks, come with me and we'll talk." She walked into the kitchen leaving him no choice but to follow. Her tiny kitchen was like the woman herself, colorful, bold and absolutely charming. The refrigerator and stove were old looking, throwbacks to the 1950's in bright yellow. Her cupboards were painted orange but the doors were yellow with a flowery decal in the center of each while the countertops were green. There was no door to her little pantry instead beads of yellow, green and orange.

"Sit," she said as she started to fill the pot with water to make the coffee. Once it was dripping into the pot she joined him at one of the two green chairs on either side of a small bistro size orange table. "What brings you to my humble abode sweetcheeks?"

"JJ brought those pictures today of Henry." He began.

"Yeah, isn't he just the cutest thing," Garcia said. "She gave us each one, go on."

"She was talking about all the things you bought for him the other day. I'm his godfather and I've hardly gotten him anything. I got him Christmas and birthday gifts…books. I don't know what kids his age like. I always got books. I want to do what's right for him. I never had a godfather so I don't, you know…know?"

Garcia looked into the depths of his pained brown eyes beneath the soft dark curls that now draped his forehead. It bothered him to admit he didn't know something. All his life he'd been the one who was supposed to know everything… and he did. He could tell you the most miniscule detail about almost any subject but the simple things that most took for granted, things that involved the heart, and not the mind, eluded him. She reached over and took his hand. "You bought him books but you didn't really want to buy him books, did you?"

"No," he shook his head.

"What did you want to buy him?"

"Dinosaur toys," he replied without hesitation, "but he's too little."

"Don't let what I got for him bother you sweet thing. I overdo on everything, as you can tell." She motioned with her hands around her apartment.

"That's part of what makes you so beautiful Garcia."

"Why thank you sweetness. I think the most important thing is that Henry knows you're there for him, always. There'll be times when he's growing up that he'll have fights with JJ and Will and he won't want to talk to them. He needs to know that Uncle Spence and Aunt Penelope are people he can turn to, always. I know you'll do that honey and it's a far greater gift than anything you could buy."

"I guess you're right. I didn't think of it that way. Maybe it's because I didn't…" He stopped."

"Have anyone to turn to when you were a kid?" Reid nodded. "You know that's over now, right?" Garcia squeezed his hand.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good," Garcia stood to get the coffee. "I just had an idea!" She brought the coffee to the table and turned back for a tin that she opened, containing chocolate chip cookies.

"Are you going to tell me?" Reid asked before biting into the gooey goodness.

"I think Will and JJ deserve some time alone. She's trying to plan a wedding, work and be the perfect mother. I say we get them a room at a little bed and breakfast for a weekend retreat and you and I stay at their place and take care of Henry."

"Uh, Garcia, are you sure that's a good…?"

"Of course it is. We'll have a great time. In fact, I think we should make it a regular thing; give the lovebirds a little quality alone time and give us time to bond with our godson. Who knows maybe you'll get to live out some of that childhood you never got through Henry, see this jaded old world with fresh eyes." She grabbed a piece of paper. "I have to get planning." While she was making notes on her paper, she made a mental note to tell Will and JJ they were not allowed to buy Henry any dinosaur toys. When the time was right that was up to Uncle Spence.

Reid watched his flamboyant friend making notes on her paper as he chewed on a cookie. A weekend with Garcia and Henry; it certainly wouldn't be boring.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I had intended Fresh Eyes to be a one shot but had requests to carry on and write the weekend. So here we go, I hope you enjoy.

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Garcia literally bounced into JJ's office. The liaison held up her hand while she finished a call, "Okay Detective Masters, if you'll just send me your files I'll present it to the team or one of the profilers will do a consult for you." She listened for a few moments and Garcia could hear the voice of the rather agitated Detective Masters. "Yes, I'll be in touch, goodbye." JJ ended the call, threw the phone on the desk and exhaled long and slow. "Hi Garcia," she smiled sarcastically, "how's your day."

"Hi," the computer tech said excitedly, her coppery curls flowing around her shoulders, the front sides pulled to the back and held in place by a barrette that resembled a blue dahlia. She was clad today in a royal blue dress, solid at the bodice, but the skirt fell to a garden of yellow calla lilies. "Reid and I came up with a great idea."

"You and Reid," JJ winced suspiciously, "I can hardly wait to hear this."

"That's good because it involves you, Will, and my precious little godson." Garcia told her, her bright smile reaching her eyes, today behind blue framed glasses.

Now JJ was truly intrigued. Her eyes widened. What kind of scheme could Garcia and Reid, of all people, have cooked up that involved the three of them. She pointed to a chair in front of her desk.

Garcia sat, but JJ could see she was so excited about what she had to say that the blond agent doubted the chair would hold her friend for long. "You know we're off next weekend?"

JJ nodded, still unsure where this was heading.

Reid and I thought it would be nice if you and Will could get away, have some alone time since you're so busy trying to plan a wedding, doing this," she indicated the files that seemed to take up every available spot in the office, "and being the perfect mother."

"You and … uh, Reid thought this, did you?" She couldn't imagine anything less Reid-like. He was about as far as it got from a romantic.

"Okay, so it was my idea but Reid is totally on board." She paused for a moment. "Reid's the primary reason I'm doing this."

Concern suddenly showed on JJ's face. "What do you mean Garcia?"

Garcia rose from her chair and closed the door to JJ's office. "Nobody ever knows about this." She waited for JJ to nod. "Reid came over to my place the other night. He's concerned he's not doing enough as Henry's godfather. This is one of those times when he can't find the answer in a book. He didn't have a solid role model as a child. And then you brought those pictures in and went on about the things I bought for Henry."

"It was an effort to make you stop, not to make Reid feel bad," JJ replied.

"I know that and I know I go overboard, face it, it's a personality flaw. Reid wants to be the best godfather he can, he just doesn't know how. He told me he bought Henry some books."

"Yeah, and they happen to be his favorites," JJ told her.

"Reid would be happy to hear that. He didn't want to buy our godson books, but it's all he ever got as a child. It's all he knows." She got up and paced the room. "Did you know he started a trust fund for Henry?"

"No," JJ raised her eyebrows. "I had no idea."

"He told me the other night, puts some away every month and the number cruncher that Reid is, he'd invest it wisely so when Henry's eighteen, he'll have a nice little nest egg."

"I never…" JJ began.

"I told him that was very nice, but Reid needs to see that the best thing he can give Henry is himself."

"You're right Garcia." JJ clasped her hands together and looked down at her desk. "I never gave any thought to what Reid was feeling inside."

"That's okay sweet girl, you've got a lot on your plate. That's why this weekend is so important. You get some time alone with Will to recharge your batteries and Reid gets to bond with his godson. It's win win. And Reid and I found the perfect place."

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"Are you happy about this?" Will asked, as they traveled west from DC to the town of Washington, Virginia. The countryside around the town was beautiful, and in the midst of this natural splendor, sat the Middleton Inn.

"I'm happy to be spending some time with you," she reached over and squeezed his hand. "It was hard to leave my little boy, but harder for you maybe," she said to his profile as he kept his eyes on the road.

"I'll confess to a little separation anxiety. It's the first time my boy and I have been apart," he admitted.

"Look, he's in great hands. They're the two people in this world we chose to care for him if anything happened to us. We have to trust them," JJ told him. "I'll keep in touch with Garcia, just like I do with you when I'm away."

"You're right," he said in his New Orleans drawl, "let's not look a gift horse in the mouth."

JJ was excited to get her first glimpse of the Middleton Inn just outside Washington, Virginia. Reid had informed her that it had been built in 1840 by Middleton Miller, who had designed and manufactured the Confederate uniforms during the Civil War. Sixty-seven miles west of DC it came into view. Beautiful flowers and trees in blossom accentuated the building resembling an English estate on a large grassy knoll with meadows and paddocks for horses. Also, on site were a cabin and cottage, which Reid told her had originally been built to house the slaves, but had been renovated into romantic accommodations. The cottage was to be their home for the weekend. They drove around to the back where vehicles were parked, so as to be unseen by anyone driving by, therefore avoiding marring the stately old world elegance of the inn.

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"What do we do now?" Reid asked Garcia, looking at Henry's empty bowl of food, not entirely sure the toddler had gotten much of it. Most of it seemed to be covering his face, his hands, his bib, the tray of his high chair, and the surrounding floor.

"We wipe off his face and hands, take him upstairs, get him dressed, and then let him go." Garcia explained trying not to laugh at the way Reid eyed his godson. "Here," Garcia handed Reid a washcloth. "Give me that bowl and spoon and you can clean him off."

Reid took the cloth and stared at Henry, seemingly frozen in his position. "Reid, he's a little boy, not an alien life form."

Right now, Reid thought, he might have better luck with an alien life form. He hadn't been this scared staring down the barrel of a gun held by a psychotic unsub. "Kids really don't like me Garcia," Reid finally said.

"Hasn't shown any sign of not liking you so far," Garcia said as she put the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. "Hurry up Reid. Nineteen month olds do not like to be kept waiting."

Reid took the cloth and wiped the food off Henry's face while the child babbled happily in what sounded to Reid like a foreign language for which there was no translation. The tiny boy held out his hands and allowed Reid to wipe them.

"Good," Garcia said when he was done and had removed Henry's messy bib. "You take him upstairs and I'll clean up this mess and be up there. I think JJ set out his clothes before she and Will left."

Henry was now fidgeting in his chair to get up and held his arms out to Reid who picked him up and carried him upstairs to his bedroom. He placed the boy on the changing table and Henry spread himself out, as if ready for what he knew was about to happen. JJ had laid out a pair of blue jeans and a blue T shirt and socks. Beside them was a pair of miniscule running shoes and on top of the pile… a diaper.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Will opened the door to the cottage and the couple was immediately transported into quaint old world charm. "This is beautiful," JJ said eyeing the red brick fireplace and the camel back love seat that faced it with a coffee table in front of it that held a vase of red roses. The fireplace was flanked by bookcases full of books. A little table and two chairs sat off to one side near the windows that looked over the grassy knoll and the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.

Will had opened the door to the other room on the main floor. "Wait until you see this," he said as JJ came toward him.

She looked in the room, a marble bath with a Jacuzzi for two. "Oh my God," she remarked as she eyed the room. Scented candles added a romantic atmosphere.

There were stairs leading up to a loft bedroom that maintained the old world charm with a queen sized sleigh bed covered with a hand made quilt. The windows up here gave the same picturesque scenery as the downstairs ones. JJ had been leery when Garcia had suggested this. She spent so much time in hotel rooms as it was. Her off time shouldn't be spent in one, but this was no ordinary hotel room. It was an oasis in the desert made for two. "Pinch me," JJ said as she winked at Will.

The phone in the room rang and Will answered it, listened to the caller and then replied. "Alright then, we will, thank you." He turned to JJ. "That was the front desk. Whoever booked the cottage arranged for in room massages. All we have to do is let them know when we want them."

"I think," JJ said as she put her arms around Will's neck, "we'll have to leave Garcia and Reid to their own devices more often."

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"Uh… uh, Garcia," Reid said as he stared at the diaper like it was a ticking bomb about to go off. "Garcia," he said again a little louder.

"Sorry Reid," he heard from downstairs. "I got a phone call. Just go ahead and start without me."

"Start without you!" He squeaked as he eyeballed the toddler who'd begun to fidget, likely trying to tell him mommy or daddy would have had him dressed by now.

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"So, what was this big text to call you ASAP?" Emily's voice came through Garcia's cell. "Don't tell me something's gone wrong." Emily looked at her watch, "Already!"

"Nope," Garcia said as she sat in one of the kitchen chairs with her feet up on one of the others. "I just needed a distraction so that Reid has no choice, but to deal with Henry all by himself."

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Okay, this wasn't rocket science he told himself as he removed Henry's pajama bottoms, leaving Henry's bottom on the soft plastic pad on the table with wipes on the shelf underneath. He supposed that was what he was expected to use. He looked at Henry on the change table and again at the door, still no sign of Garcia, as he undid the tabs on the diaper. His eyes watered as his nose scrunched. His theory that Henry wasn't getting much of his food because of all the mess he made flew right out the window when he saw… and smelled what was waiting for him. "My God, you're not even two yet!" He wished now he could snap on some latex gloves like he wore at a crime scene. Though this was no crime scene he noted, just evidence that Henry's digestive system was working well which was a good thing he told himself. He pulled a moist wipe from the container, looked at the size of it and looked at Henry's diaper before reaching in for a handful and proceeding with the cleanup while he squinted and his mouth and nose contorted. Once he was finished he disposed of the diaper in a pail in the room, cleaned his hands well with some more wipes and applied a new one, taking special care to note he had it the right way around, and realizing he may have overdone it with the powder once the white cloud made him start to cough. There, he told himself, the hard part was over. The rest would be a piece of cake.

Beads of sweat had started to trickle down Reid's forehead as he was snapping the last Velcro snap on Henry's shoes in place. Why, he thought, had he gotten the idea that dressing his godson would be easier than changing the diaper? It appeared that Henry had wanted to be anywhere, but here with his godfather, getting dressed. He had squirmed and tried to get away from Reid and the little arms that Reid was attempting to put into the sleeves of Henry's T shirt were going in any other direction. Getting tiny feet to go cooperatively into little shoes was worse than trying to thread a needle with string.

Garcia poked her head into the room, "How's it going?"

"Fine," Reid replied sarcastically as he finally set the restless toddler on the floor and he quickly tottered out of the room. "Where were you?"

"I told you, I got a phone call. Emily's got a date tonight. She's having a fashion 911 and she needed some advice. We should go keep an eye on him." She turned and headed down the hallway.

"I'm so glad you could help _her," _Reid called after her as he took Henry's pajamas and put them in the hamper and went to the bathroom to wash his hands. Emily had a fashion emergency, he thought, and she'd called _Garcia_!

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"What do we do now?" Reid asked when he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, literally almost tripping over a busy Henry as he went by, his tiny legs wheeling a toy with a bright blue seat, yellow handlebars and red wheels. It appeared to be equipped with lights that flashed various colors and a horn that honked…loudly. "I guess pedestrians don't have the right of way," he noted to Garcia who began to giggle.

"Not to a toddler, didn't you have one of those when you were a kid?"

"No Garcia, I told you, I had books. I was reading by the time I was two," Reid sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Garcia. "I read books like Moby Dick before I was five."

Garcia looked at her friend and her heart filled with sadness. He really hadn't exaggerated. He hadn't played. "Well," she said, "we're just going to do things backwards." She got up from the sofa noticing Henry had tired of his ride along. She dragged his toy box to the middle of the room and pushed the coffee table out of the way. "Come on Reid, down on the floor. We're going to play."

"Play! Play with what?" Reid asked, still in his place on the couch.

"Whatever we find," she put her hands in the box pulling out piles of toys that caught Henry's attention and he toddled over.

Reid remained on the sofa as he watched Garcia in all her colorful brilliance plop down in the middle of the floor with Henry. She smiled at the boy and her eyes widened as one thing after another came from the box and Henry would squeal with glee at the sight of each one. He, Dr. Spencer Reid, playing with toys; he'd never heard of anything more ridiculous he thought as he watched her empty the last of the contents of the toy box onto the center of the floor.

She looked up from her spot beside Henry. "Do not make me come over there Dr. Reid!"


	4. Chapter 4

Reid finally relented and sat on the floor with Garcia and Henry, because, like she'd once told Hotch, who could say no to her? Henry brought a soft bean bag toy and handed it to Reid. "Sp-b-sk-ps," he said.

"Garcia?" Reid looked at his friend.

"Spongebob squarepants," Garcia explained.

Reid looked at the toy. "Guy's got a wicked smile."

"Oh Reid, only you," Garcia said as her cell rang. She looked at the call display. "That's Kevin; I have to take this." She rose from the chaos that was JJ and Will's living room and headed for the serenity of the kitchen.

"_Hey, mon cher, what did you want?'_ Kevin's voice came through her cell.

"Oh nothing, just to hear your voice my love."

"_Well, you left a text for me to call you now."_

"I know that; can't I just miss you?"

"_I think there's more."_

"Okay," she whispered so Reid couldn't hear her. "I needed a distraction…"

Sure, Reid thought, JJ and Will were off for a romantic weekend. Garcia and Kevin were making lovey dovey phone calls. Emily had a date. He didn't even have to wonder what Morgan would be doing and Rossi was likely working on wife number four. He looked around at all the things on the floor and found himself looking at the nineteen month old for guidance.

Henry, somehow seemed to understand and brought over a pail full of brightly colored blocks. He pulled out two, fit them together and set them on the floor. "Okay Henry, let's build something." I can do that Reid thought as he followed the tiny boy's lead. They continued this as Garcia peeked around from the kitchen. They had a fairly good sky scraper going and Henry would clap his hands with each block they added until he suddenly knocked it over.

"Well, so much for that," Reid said, cognizant of the fact that a toddler's attention span was very limited. He picked through some lettered blocks in a plastic container and found the five he wanted and placed them on the floor. "Look at that. Do you know what that says? It says H-E-N-R-Y." The toddler patted himself. "That's right, you're Henry." He then patted Reid on the chest so he searched until he found the six blocks he wanted. "S-P-E-N-C-E, that's me. H-E-N-R-Y," he pointed to the five blocks and the boy pointed to himself, "and S-P-E-N-C-E."

Henry raised his head and gazed up at Reid with JJ's beautiful eyes and her soft blonde hair, "Pess," he said excitedly.

Momentarily, as he heard the toddler's version of his name, Reid felt as if someone had given him a hard blow to the gut and knocked all the wind out of him. He looked at the innocent child before him and realized in a way he never had before that moment, that JJ and Will had partially entrusted him, Spencer Reid, with this most beautiful and precious part of themselves.

He shook himself out of his reverie to find Henry had, once again, switched gears and had now gotten out a big yellow dump truck. He filled the back with blocks and moved it around in circles a few times then lifted the red handle and the blocks were, once again on the floor. He pointed at Reid who obligingly filled the dump truck and maneuvered it around Will and JJ's living room for a bit, even making the sound of an engine, Garcia noted, before dumping the blocks back in their plastic container. Henry seemed to find this whole procedure most satisfying and the pair went through the whole thing again, this time Henry dumping the blocks into the container instead of on the floor and squealing at his success. Suddenly the truck was no longer of interest to him and he was next holding a book up to Reid. "The Big Animal Book," Reid said, noting that it was one of the books he'd given Henry. "Okay, let's sit on the sofa," he stood, groaning as his knee protested, and lifted the boy to sit beside him while they explored the world of animals. "And there's a dog," Reid pointed to the animal.

"Woof," Henry responded.

"And a cat," he pointed it out to the boy.

"Yow," Henry said.

"And there's a rooster."

"Do do," the boy replied.

"Do do," Reid said hesitantly, "really, not again?"

Garcia, who was watching from the kitchen, had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. "I think he wants you to make the animal noises Reid."

"Oh," Reid replied. He looked at Henry and back at the book, "cock-a-doodle-do," he said blandly.

"Once more with feeling Reid," Garcia said as she began to move around the kitchen, getting bread and a bowl of chicken salad from the fridge in preparation for making sandwiches for lunch. She could hear Reid cooing, chirping, howling, oinking and growling, but when he began to hoot like an owl she almost lost her control.

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"I think this is better for him," Reid said as Henry bit into a quarter of a chicken salad sandwich, "easier at least, and less cleanup."

"Yes, and we can be sure he's getting it rather than most of it ending up in other places," Garcia replied as the boy chewed and then took a drink of milk from his sippy cup.

"Oh, he's getting it alright!" Reid told her as he reached for the second half of his three sandwich halves, causing Garcia to smirk.

"JJ always said he was a good eater," Garcia replied.

"Toddlers require forty calories per inch of height." He looked like he was sizing Henry up. "Let's say thirty-three inches, so that would make his daily caloric requirement 1320." The genius prattled on, not giving the calculation a moment's thought, while Garcia was still trying to figure it out in her head and wondering why she bothered as Reid carried on. "With what you had for breakfast, not counting what landed everywhere, but in your mouth, this," he pointed to the half sandwich, the quarter banana Garcia had sliced, raspberries and Henry's sippy cup of milk, "a couple of snacks and the mac and cheese Aunt Penelope's making for dinner, you should slide in just under the wire."

Garcia was about to remark that that was the last thing Henry would be interested in when she watched the boy. He seemed to be in a trance, his quarter sandwich poised half way to his mouth and his eyes fixed on Reid. It was probably the expression they'd all worn the first time they'd heard Reid spout off some of the millions of facts that must be lodged somewhere in his grey matter.

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"Garcia, did you put sunscreen on him?" Reid asked as they got Henry ready for his daily trek to Potomac Park.

"Of course, I put sunscreen on him," Garcia tried to control the wriggling child as they got him into the stroller. Reid had insisted that he nap before going to the park rather than after because the UVA and UVB rays were strongest between 1 and 3 p.m.

"Did you get his ear lobes and behind his ears?" Reid reached to check only to have his hand slapped away by Garcia.

"Reid, I told you I put it on," she said as she set Henry's hat atop his head. "You're worse than a Jewish mother."

The threesome reached the park after a short walk with Henry pointing things out and babbling most of the way. On a Saturday afternoon the park was brimming with life, not only with the trees, shrubs and flowers that bloomed colorfully against the green backdrop; but also with people, children playing everywhere, adults sitting on benches chatting, kites flying in the cloudless blue sky, balls and Frisbees being thrown, children hiding from whoever was It and chess players ignoring all of it in quest of victory in their favorite game. Reid thought of his young friend Eric and how they enjoyed moments such as this and suddenly realized that they should perhaps sometimes lift their heads from their chess boards and take in the life all around them.

"JJ says he likes the swing," Garcia said as Reid freed Henry from the confinement of his stroller and lifted him to the small child's swing where he was securely strapped in place. He squealed merrily as Reid began to push him while Garcia sat on a bench nearby. Her cell rang and she looked at the call display. "JJ checking in," she told Reid.

Henry had decided he'd had enough of the swing and when Reid put him down he made a beeline for the sandbox. Reid went to the back of the stroller to retrieve a pail and shovel he'd seen Garcia pack there. He turned around, the pail and shovel sliding from his hands, falling to the ground, forgotten, as he rushed towards the boy.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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"Hi sweet girl, you're supposed to be enjoying a romantic weekend, not calling me," Garcia said into her cell.

"Sorry Garcia, mothers will be mothers; if it makes you feel any better I phone home and check on Will too. And, to put your mind at rest, we are having a romantic weekend, since, at the moment, we're sitting here in a Jacuzzi full of bubbles with a glass of wine, lavender scented candles, and bath oil scented like," she giggled, "licorice of all things."

"Oh yeah, blame that one on Reid," Garcia laughed. "Apparently, licorice and lavender are the only two scents that seem to turn both sexes on. Don't even ask Jaje."

"I think it's working," Will said in the background. "Thank Reid for me."

"I'd have to agree with that; that's why we thought we'd better call now, later we might be um… busy!" she said as Will nibbled on her ear and she giggled. "Quit it, but hold that thought. How's Henry?"

"He's been a very good little boy, keeping his godfather bus…what the hell?" Garcia stopped speaking as Reid dropped the bright red pail and shovel he'd been carrying and ran towards the sand box. She saw him reach to his hip automatically, as if for his sidearm which he wasn't wearing today. He scooped a startled Henry into his arms and away from a man with scruffy brown hair, but a beard that was neatly trimmed, who'd been bent over Henry.

"Who are you?" she heard Reid asking the man.

"Dean Hardy, who are you?" the man replied.

"Garcia," JJ was shouting into the phone, "Garcia!"

Reid pulled his badge from the back pocket of the beige cords he'd worn today with a hunter green polo shirt. "Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, FBI, what were you doing with the boy?"

"Doing," the man looked bewildered; "I wasn't doing anything. I was just talking to him." He pointed to another child with identical brown hair, about Henry's age, who was standing beside a very pretty woman with long golden brown hair that fell down her back in a French braid, except for a fringe of wispy bangs across her forehead, "Joshua and I are often out in the park when Will and Henry are here. I was just saying hello."

"Garcia!" JJ's voice finally penetrated Garcia's consciousness.

"JJ, do you and Will know a guy named Dean Hardy?"

"Yeah, why?" Will asked.

"He was talking to Henry I guess; Reid got a little over protective and started giving the guy the third degree."

"Tell Reid he's okay," Will replied. "We talk to each other all the time while the boys play. His wife works with one of the senators on the hill."

Garcia moved toward the sandbox and touched Reid on the arm. "Reid, I've got JJ and Will on the phone and they say he's okay." She inclined her head toward the man, woman and little boy.

"Oh," Reid nodded and turned back to them to find the man looking at him as if he was not playing with a full deck.

Reid looked into Dean Hardy's eyes and he could see the puzzlement there; of course, he was puzzled, why wouldn't he be? He didn't know. He hadn't seen the seconds tick down on a clock that was auctioning an anonymous boy, nicknamed Peter, taken from his mother when he was one, to the highest bidder. He hadn't felt the relief of opening a door in a rundown farmhouse and feeling a safe and healthy Michael Bridges rush into his arms. He hadn't seen a thirteen year old boy made homeless after his mother tried to kill her six year old niece because her husband couldn't control his pedophilic urges. He hadn't spoken to Sarah Hillridge, a woman who never gave up hope of finding the son taken from her many years before, because, a mother knows. He hadn't seen the joy of them finally being reunited, the son almost a man, combined equally with the sorrow of the parents whose children did not return from Mosley Lane. He had never seen a disturbed young woman named Samantha Malcolm making dolls out of live women because the father, who'd abused her sexually and with electric shock, had given her dolls to another girl he'd molested to silence her. He had never seen pictures of Riley Jenkins' small body riddled with stab wounds. And, he'd never seen a handsome unassuming man, much like Dean Hardy himself, named Gary Michaels, smile at a small boy sitting by a chess board in a park just like this one, and say, "Hey, you're pretty good."

"I'm sorry," Reid said as he put Henry back down in the sandbox and went to retrieve his pail and shovel; "I hope you and your wife understand that the things I see in my work give me a rather skewed perspective on the world."

"Of course," the man nodded. "Why don't we start over, I'm Dean Hardy and this is, not my wife, but my sister-in-law, Becca Dryden. She just moved here from Madison to be nearer to my wife; they've always been very close. I'm just showing her around."

The petite woman reached out to shake Reid's hand and he was surprised at the strength in her small hand. "It's nice to meet you," she said in a cheerful, almost lilting voice. "I totally understand your actions just now with little Henry," she crouched down, smiled, and waved at the toddler as he responded to hearing his name. "I'm a pediatric nurse and I've seen children who've been abused and molested; it's something you want to prevent at all costs."

Reid turned to Garcia, "This is Penelope Garcia; she's also with the FBI." Garcia reached out and shook both their hands. "Will and JJ are away for the weekend," Reid explained.

"That's right," Dean replied, "Will told me something about that, you're the godparents."

"That's us," Garcia said. "Becca, why don't we leave the guys to their sand castle building and we can chat on this bench over here. I can fill you in on all the great places to shop." At the sound of the word shopping, Becca's eyes lit up and she followed Garcia to the bench.

The women watched as Henry slowly filled his pail with sand that Uncle Spence packed down hard for him and they turned the pail over to make a mound of sand. The child babbled incoherently and it almost reminded Garcia of the way Reid would suddenly spout out facts as fast as his tongue would let him. "Your colleague appears to be having a good time," Becca said as she watched the threesome in the sandbox while Dean just paced around. This was likely the time he usually talked with Will.

"He does, doesn't he?" Garcia agreed. "He's a lot more than a colleague; he's like a little brother who I love very much." She watched him helping the boys dump their sand mounds and thought his mind was likely racing with ideas on how to turn those mounds into the most exquisite sand castle. She heard him laugh as one of the boys threw a miniscule handful of sand and he ducked his head, most of it landing in his curly hair. Joshua stood and tried to walk, falling on his bottom when his, still unsteady, legs were unable to handle the uneven footing of the sand. "Oops," she heard Reid say and the two children echoed him and laughed. In the confines of that sandbox, there were no such things as serial killers, child abusers, or molesters. Garcia lifted her phone up and took a picture of perfection: two little boys, learning how to socialize and play together and the genius, Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, learning, at last, how to be a child.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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"Why don't you give Henry a bath while I get dinner ready," Garcia suggested as Reid entered the kitchen after showering, his damp hair still clinging to his head, beginning to spring into curls. She'd never seen him looking like this, his feet bare, wearing a navy blue tee shirt with the large white letters FBI emblazoned on the front, and matching sweat pants. Reid did a quick 180 back into the living room where Henry was quietly content with one of his toys. Garcia raised her eyebrows at his retreating form, "Lookin' good junior G man."

"Garcia!" Reid shook his head, his cheeks turning pink. "Come on Henry, let's get you bathed." He picked up the toddler and carried him up the stairs.

The small boy smiled and clapped when they entered the bathroom. At least he likes his bath, Reid thought as he set to getting ready. He noticed a plastic basket full of toys and knew this would not be a usual bath, at least not usual, in his scheme of things. He turned the water on and it began to flow through the trunk of a soft plastic elephant head placed over the faucet to protect Henry from bumps and bruises. He added some bubble bath from one of the bottles he found around the bathtub and, while the water ran, he undressed his young godson. When the water reached, what he considered, the right depth and temperature, he lifted Henry into the water. The boy sat down immediately trying to reach for the basket of toys. "Okay, just a minute," Reid said as he reached for the basket that contained a yellow duck, a boat, and another wickedly smiling spongebob squarepants among other toys, and dumped them into the tub.

Henry quickly attacked the toys and played with each for a short time until he lost interest in favor of another. He then reached over to a square unit mounted on the tub and pressed a blue button that released large bubbles into the air. He pointed them out to Reid, "Bulz," he said.

"Yeah Henry, bubbles," Reid repeated as he got the cloth to begin washing the toddler who, apparently, had other ideas. He grabbed one of the toys, another rendition of the, it seemed ever popular, spongebob and squeezed it sending a jet of water squirting into Reid's face. The boy squealed with glee as the water dripped down his godfather's face and he used the bottom of his tee shirt to wipe it away. Henry began to move both his arms and legs up and down, splashing and squealing at the same time.

"Very funny Henry, okay, how about we get you washed because Aunt Penelope's making some yummy mac and cheese," he told the boy as he gently moved the cloth over his face and arms, ridding Henry's body of any traces of the sand he'd gotten into earlier. "There," he said pulling the plug, allowing the water to drain away while innocent blue eyes looked up at him as if something catastrophic had happened. He lifted Henry from the tub, "Ooh, slippery when wet," he said as he placed the boy on the bath mat and turned to reach for a towel only to find when he turned back that his naked godson had taken off squealing down the hallway.

Reid groaned as he got to his feet, his knee having had enough for one day and tore, well, more literally, limped after the naked boy who was God knew where by now. "Henry," he called as he made his way down the hallway and saw the tiny nude body toddling out of Will and JJ's bedroom and towards her office. He wanted to reach the boy before he got near the stairs. "Garcia," he yelled, just in case he didn't get to the boy in time.

"What sweetcheeks?" Garcia came running from the kitchen at the sound of Reid's voice.

"Just make sure he doesn't fall before I get to him," Reid said as Garcia took in the site before her. Reid was half running half limping down the hallway in hot pursuit of a totally nude Henry who seemed to realize the commotion he'd caused and was squealing in delight because of it. She had no choice, she told herself. There was only one thing to do. She reached into the pocket of her pink skirt, pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures until Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid caught up to his quarry and lifted the squealing boy into his arms.

"Come on little Lord Godiva, let's get you dry and get some clothes on you." He kept wishing Hotch would put him back in the field but maybe he truly wasn't ready if he couldn't handle a nineteen month old.

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His nose was met with a glorious mixture of aromas even before he reached the kitchen. An apple pie and a fresh loaf of garlic bread were cooling on racks on the counter while the smell of bubbling cheese wafted from the oven and Garcia had even made a pot of coffee. Reid was sure he was in love. "It smells pretty good Henry," he said to the boy.

"You match," Garcia exclaimed as she took off her oven mitts. "That's the jammies I gave you." She poked Henry in the stomach garnering a laugh from the boy.

"Why am I not surprised," Reid said as he set down the toddler dressed in a navy top and bottom, like himself, but his shirt declared that he was a "Future FBI Agent."

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"So, you had fun today," Garcia said when she and Reid were alone in the living room after Henry had been put down for the night, once he was exhausted from another marathon playing session with Uncle Spence.

"It was an eye opener!" He said as he and Garcia collected up the toys in an effort to restore the living room to some semblance of order. The reason for this was lost on Reid when they'd only bring everything out again in the morning.

"That's not what I said. I said you had fun. It wasn't a question; it was an observation."

"Garcia," Reid said as he placed the toy box back in its original position, "I was just trying to keep Henry occupied."

The computer tech stood with her hands on her hips. "Why is it so hard for you of the 187 IQ, the three doctorates, two BA's, eidetic memory, 20,000 word a minute reading speed and whatever the hell other talents you have, to admit that you had fun playing in a sand box with two toddlers? I wasn't the only one who noticed."

"W…what do you mean?"

"Becca, she noticed it too."

"S…she did?"

"Oh Reid," Garcia sat on the couch and tucked her feet under her. "Do you think it makes you seem less of a man if you admit it?" She waited for a few moments but he didn't respond. "I'm no profiler, but do you want to know what I think?" Reid remained silent, realizing he was going to find out, whether he wanted to or not. "I think that all your life you've had to prove yourself. You were a genius, by God, and you weren't expected to be out playing with the other kids; you were expected to be reading books and excelling at everything. Nobody was there for you when you were a teenager and your body was changing to answer the questions you had; they expected you to already have the answers. Nobody was there to guide you at the age of twelve when you entered university and were expected to decide what kind of man you wanted to be, when you were still just a boy. The FBI made an exception for you and you weren't going to let them down, so, you went out and got more education so that every time Hotch asks you a question, you'll have the answer. When you go to work, there are the expectations for you to be perfect and know everything and when you go home, there are books to read, lessons to take, research to do, and articles to publish. But today, in that little box of sand, there were no expectations. Henry and Joshua wanted nothing from you but someone to play with them. You were free at last to just be," tears came into her voice, "and that made me happier than almost anything in my life."

"Garcia, I don't…" Reid began, but Garcia slid over on the couch next to him and put her finger on his lips.

"It's okay sweetcheeks, sometimes with friends no words are necessary. Now, we have something else to talk about."

"What?"

"Becca. She liked what she saw."

"Garcia, she doesn't even know me. All we did was say hello."

"Doesn't every relationship start with hello? And anyway, that doesn't matter, it's like, you know, in a bar, when you see a member of the opposite sex that turns you on and you send over a drink, you don't know them but you want to."

Reid looked totally confused by this concept.

"I can see there are definite gaps in your education we'll have to fill. Anyway, I'll vet Becca and get her number. She'll be happy to hear from you, believe me. Is your goddess ever wrong?"

"No," Reid said hesitantly.

"Good answer sugar. I'm off to bed, sleep well." She kissed his cheek and headed for the stairs.

"Garcia," Reid called when she was halfway up the stairs. She turned. "You'd make a great profiler."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

A/N: Last chapter folks. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and encouraging me to go forward with the one shot.

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Reid wasn't sure what woke him first, the loud crack of thunder or Henry's piercing shriek. He jumped from his place on the sofa and rushed in the direction of the boy's cries, forgetting, in the darkness, that he wasn't in his own home, and banged his good knee on JJ and Will's coffee table. "Oh f…" he left the word unfinished as he scrambled to find a light and make his way to Henry. Surely Garcia would be there by now. He was aided in his quest by a bright flash of lightning, which illuminated the room enough that he found a table lamp and switched it on. After giving his eyes a moment to accommodate to the light, he headed for the stairs.

"It's okay baby, it's okay," Garcia was saying to Henry when he entered the room. She gently jiggled the wriggling child in her arms and spoke softly to him, but none of it seemed to calm the boy as he put his arms out to Reid and tried to wiggle from Garcia's grasp. "Looks like he wants you," she said as she handed the crying child over to his godfather.

"It's likely because I'm a guy and he's used to Will always being here," Reid replied. "Hey Henry," Reid tried to think of something to calm the frightened boy. "Look at this," he picked up one of Henry's stuffed animals from his crib, but the boy just pushed it away, seemingly wanting nothing to do with it. He looked to Garcia in a stretchy flowered pajama top with mauve bottoms, but she only shrugged her shoulders as one more flash of lightning, accompanied by a loud clap of thunder sent Henry's screaming up another notch. Reid bit his bottom lip, looked around helplessly, and finally sat in the blue glider rocker. "Okay Henry, you know the thing about storms is, you just have to wait them out, and so, we'll sit here and wait it out." He balanced the boy on his lap and his puppy dog eyes looked pleadingly at the child. "What about your animal book?"

Garcia left the room in search of the book while more lightning and thunder sent the shrieking still further. Soon Henry would be screeching louder than the thunder itself, she thought.

"It's just a loud noise Henry, nothing to be afraid of. Ben Franklin went out in a storm like this with a kite almost three hundred years ago, and found out about electricity; so, now we have lights so Henry's not scared," and Uncle Spence for that matter, he whispered under his breath. "Well, technically, that was Thomas Edison, but that's for another day. Anyway, the thunder can't hurt you; it's just a loud noise because the heat of the lightning makes the air in the clouds expand and contract which causes a vibrating tubular effect, like a drum that you would hit and it would make a big boom."

Garcia stood, silently leaning against the door jamb, the animal book in hand, watching Reid explain the intricacies of thunder and lightning to a nineteen month old. The surprising thing was, Henry had stopped crying and was watching Reid closely as he spoke, his breathing hitching occasionally and tears still glistening on his pink cheeks. Garcia set the book beside Reid on the table and, without a word, backed out of the room. "Okay Henry, here's your animal book." She heard him say as she walked down the hallway. "Do you want me to read it to you. My mommy used to read to me, even when I could read myself. She said it was the best way." Garcia visited the bathroom and returned to her bed in the guest room. In between the flashes of lightning and the rumbling thunder, she could hear Reid, barking, howling, quacking, and honking, the most unorthodox of lullabies, she thought, as she fell asleep.

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The sun was streaming brightly through the bedroom window when Garcia opened her eyes, birds chirped, and the only evidence of last night's storm was the occasional puddle that would soon be dry. She hadn't heard anything from Henry the remainder of the night, so, Reid's animal imitations must have done the trick. After a trip to the bathroom, she went to look in on Henry. The light was still on. Reid must have left it on for Henry after he'd put him down. She looked into the room to find Henry's crib empty; the small boy snuggled into Reid's arms in the rocker, both fast asleep, their mouths wide open with Henry's animal book on the floor at Reid's feet. Well, Garcia told herself as she headed for her room. This was definitely a Kodak moment.

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Reid had Henry on the change table contemplating the fact that he'd had more than his fair share of diaper duty but Garcia said she had to make breakfast. Well, he could pour Cheerios in a bowl, couldn't he? He'd just removed his godson's wet diaper when the boy chose to let go of a fresh spray. "Henry!" Reid squeaked as he scurried to cover the spout with the diaper as a squirt just missed his face. "That was not very funny Henry." The boy's giggle told his godfather he thought otherwise. Reid continued getting the toddler cleaned up changed and dressed, which, fortunately, was not as taxing as the day before. Now his turn; he headed for the bathroom and his own morning ritual, this time thinking to close the door to prevent the inquisitive toddler from escaping. Once done, he lifted Henry, who ran his hands along Uncle Spence's cleanly shaven face. "Come on Henry; let's go see what Garcia's got for us."

What Garcia had for them, Reid noted when they entered the kitchen, was scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh buttermilk biscuits and a pot of glorious coffee. He could get used to this, he thought, as he secured Henry in his high chair.

"Sweetcheeks, you have him dressed already," Garcia remarked. "Aren't you the quick study?"

"Always have been," Reid said, yawning as he filled a mug with the steaming brew from the pot on the counter and headed for the sugar bowl while Garcia dished out breakfast.

"Make sure it's not too hot for him," she warned as she handed Reid a bowl of scrambled eggs for Henry.

Reid blew on it a few times, then put it in front of Henry. "Try to hit your mouth today, okay," he said as he sat down and dug into his own bacon, eggs and biscuits. Henry, it seemed, felt it necessary to provide a running commentary during the meal. What scared Reid was that he was beginning to think he understood him.

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The blue Altima pulled into the driveway and Will grabbed their bags while JJ rushed into the house to find Henry and Uncle Spence building a rather impressive castle of blocks while Garcia sat on the sofa knitting. "Mama," Henry forgot about the castle, knocking it over in an attempt to run to her arms.

"Hi sweetheart," JJ said, kissing him on the forehead. "Did you have fun with Aunt Penelope and Uncle Spence?" In answer he turned and pointed to his godparents. "How was he," she asked as Will entered with their bags and Henry squealed, "Dada," holding his arms out to his father.

"He was a very good boy," Garcia said, "a little afraid of the thunderstorm last night but Uncle Spence managed to get him calmed down. So, did you have a good time?" She set her knitting aside.

"Garcia, it was the best," JJ said. "I don't know how to thank you. We love this little one more than anything, but," she tweaked Henry's nose, "the time alone was wonderful and the pampering we got… I can't imagine what you guys must have paid for that."

Will looked at the floor as he carried Henry into the room. "We usually don't let him play with everything at once you guys."

"So he got a little spoiled too," Garcia replied. "It's good for the soul every now and then."

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JJ carried Henry down the stairs while Garcia followed closely behind. "I guess he's too excited to nap," JJ said. "Maybe he'll settle in early tonight." She put Henry down on the floor. "Henry," she took a wrapped box from Garcia. "Can you give this to Daddy?" The toddler took the box and JJ pointed at Will. "Give it to Daddy." Henry toddled over and placed the box in his father's hands. "Say Happy Father's Day," JJ said but Henry just looked confused.

"Thank you son," Will said, giving the boy a kiss and proceeding to open the card and then the present. When he opened the box he found a mug with a picture of himself and Henry and on the other side it said, I, followed by a big red heart, Daddy. "Thank you so much," he looked up at JJ then kissed his son again on the forehead and ran his fingers gently over his soft blond hair.

"Henry," JJ said and the child came back to her. She gave the boy the envelope she was holding. "Can you give this to Uncle Spence?" She pointed to Reid and Henry toddled over to hand him the envelope.

"W…what's this?" Reid asked, holding up the envelope.

"Well open it and find out," JJ replied.

Reid opened the envelope to find a card. The picture on the front was in the sepia tones of an old photograph and is showed a man's finger and a tiny hand clasping tightly to that finger. Happy Father's Day Godfather, it proclaimed. He opened the card and read the simple words printed there.

_I am so lucky to have you in my life_

_to look up too…_

_to learn from… _

_and to love_

It was signed "Henry" in JJ's beautiful handwriting but on the upper part of the card were scribbles in red crayon.

Reid was quiet for the longest time. "Spence," JJ said at last, concern evident in her voice.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Th…thank you, this is the nicest thing." He raised his eyes from the card and looked at the boy, still standing there, baffled by the quiet that had suddenly descended over the room. Reid reached over and caressed the child's blond hair, much like his father had. "Henry, I know you won't understand this, but I'll tell you again when you're older and again when someday you might doubt it, that I'm honored and proud to be your godfather and I will always love you and be there for you, no matter what."

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Reid entered his apartment and threw his go bag on the floor. He'd have to repack it for work tomorrow he told himself but instead he reached into his messenger bag and pulled out the card. Cards had never meant much to him, he'd gotten so few in his life. He read it again and smiled. Maybe he could teach Henry chess someday. He set it on his entertainment center and then stood back and looked at it like one looks at a masterpiece hung on the wall, checking it for perfect placement. Garcia had given him a small album of candid shots she'd taken of him and Henry throughout the weekend, which he retrieved from his go bag as well. He sat on the sofa and looked through them again. Garcia had been right, he had looked happy when he was playing in the sandbox. Perhaps she'd been right. Perhaps he'd needed to see the world as Henry saw it, through fresh eyes. He set the album on his coffee table, grabbed his go bag and headed for his bedroom.

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He reached up to the top shelf of his wardrobe, as he did every year, and, as every year, he told himself he wouldn't. He took the wooden box to the living room and opened it. One by one he took them out and laid them on the table until he had all ten. The first ones were store bought and then later they'd been hand made for a while, then store bought again, ten Father's Day cards. Why did he do this to himself every year? Was it to torment himself because he wished things could have been different? He reached out his hand and fingered each one, reading the words he knew by heart until the phone jogged him from his thoughts. "Hello," he choked into the receiver.

"Dad," he heard the voice on the other end. "Dad, it's Spencer."


End file.
